Fresh beginnings and second chances...

I'm so thankful for them! Every day holds promise of a fresh start. It may be a time to try something new, or maybe just try again. A time to embrace the moment and make the most of it.

We've had a wonderful reminder of this in our backyard over the last months. A pair of mockingbirds had built a nest in a low vine on our deck. We enjoyed the anticipation of watching the five blue-and-brown speckled eggs. After about two weeks, five little hatchlings filled the nest. It was fascinating to be able to see into the nest so clearly. We especially enjoyed feeding time, as the little open-beaked birds demanded their fair share. They began to grow and get their feathers. Their eyes opened. But then...something happened. I woke up one sad morning to find that all five were gone. There was not a trace of them remaining. I'm not sure if it was a cat or a predatory bird, but we were so sad to see them come to this end.

A few weeks later, the pair* came back and built a new nest, still in a vine, but this time much more hidden and protected. We were again able to observe the daily routine of the nest. This time, four eggs were laid. Of the four, three hatched. This time, they have grown to the point of almost crowding one another out of their tiny abode. I've been out with my camera a number of times (imagine that!) with the parents loudly warning me from the roof of our house. Hopefully they've learned that I won't hurt their babies. I just try not to interrupt meal time for too long! They have almost all their feathers now, and I expect that any day now, they will stretch their wings to fly. And what a joy it will be to see that!

* How do I know it was "the" pair, you ask? I just know. Of course, they have to be! ;-)

Realizing a Dream

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

How amazing it is to get to realize a dream! For so long, I have desired to make a small difference in the world through my images, through touching the lives of people whose paths, if only for a moment, intersect my own. Through the grace of God, I am watching that dream unfold. It is taking plenty of planning and hard work, but it is the dream itself that pulls me onward and upward. And as I have believed, I have been encouraged by others who have believed along with me. Thank you.

I am exhilarated. I am humbled. I am very, very, grateful.

The text in the storyboard below reads: To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. ~Anatole France

Do you remember?

May 12, 2006



I have spent a lot of time the last few days remembering. Remembering my wonderful, loving grandmother. Remembering long summer days spent shelling lima beans with her on the back porch. Remembering the fresh smell of green grass, homemade rhubarb pie, and heaps of mashed potatoes, which she urged be finished by her quite-already-satisfied family. Remembering the warmth that radiated from her.

I also remembered my father, who was strong, sincere and generous. Who loved life and family, and made each moment count. Who set an example in honesty, hard work and dependability. Who loved sacrificially and without complaint. And if all this is too serious, who played a killer round of golf and had an amazing "sky hook" shot! :)

I remember what it was like to live in the imaginary world of a child. Whether trying on the glass slipper that led to "happily ever after" or chasing ferocious wolves or singing and dancing without a care in the world, childhood was, and is magical.

I remember who I am and where I came from and the people that shaped and influenced me the most. I am grateful to God for all those whose lives have touched mine so deeply.

Do you remember?

A Tribute to my Grandmother

May 5, 2006

I got the sad news that my grandmother passed away this morning. She was an amazing lady, and I want to honor her memory by sharing just a bit about her.

She was 92, and until about the last year or so, was able to get down on the floor to play with babies and get back up - all by herself! She loved babies and children so much, and was never happier than when family got together and she got to hold and love those little ones. When her friends become dependent on walkers and scooters, she refused, saying that she had to keep using her legs to stay strong. Last summer she went down her steep stairway into the basement and defrosted her freezer by herself, "forgetting" to tell anyone she was going to do it. She kept her mind sharp, and had the librarian bring her every large print book that came in. She did crossword puzzles and cryptograms better than the average 30-year-old. She loved to play cards, and was quite competitive around the bridge table - known for an occassional colorful expression when the cards she wanted did not come her way. She was a hard worker (a bit of a perfectionist) and had arguably the best garden in the country until she was no longer able to keep it up. Every summertime meal was graced with freshly grown fruits and vegetables. Even last summer, she grew beautiful flowers, as you can see. (Sadly, her green thumb gene was not passed on to me.) She was adventurous, and drove my brother's speedboat for a little while on Lake Erie at the age of 88! She was a strong woman, who pressed on through the deaths of her parents and all but one of her siblings, her grandson, her husband and her son (my father.) She told my aunt last night that she was "ready to go." If I can live life with half the strength, courage, and love that she has, I will consider it a life very well lived.